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The Globe comes to Tuscaloosa

Restaurateur preps site for March debut of The Globe

Owner and chef Jeff Wilson works on renovations at the new location of The Globe restaurant in Tuscaloosa on Friday. The Globe is reopening in the former Carmelo Cafe space downtown.

Dusty Compton | Tuscaloosa News

By Mark Hughes CobbStaff Writer

Published: Sunday, February 17, 2013 at 3:30 a.m.

Last Modified: Saturday, February 16, 2013 at 8:08 p.m.

TUSCALOOSA | On a mild afternoon, with the sun shining in on stripped floors, Jeff Wilson paused in labors to bring the new The Globe restaurant back to life to meet with wine distributors, greet friends who wandered in, probably drawn by golden banners fluttering in a slight breeze, and deal with the occasional would-be customer who wasn't yet aware that the former Carmelo's had closed.

He takes it as a good sign that, even with weeks to go before the planned opening, there's traffic and growing curiosity. The flames have been fanned by hints and rumors, starting near the beginning of the year, that Wilson was planning to bring back The Globe, which ran for 17 years in downtown Northport.

“Over there we were a destination restaurant,” he said. “In downtown Tuscaloosa, we'll be part of a growing scene.

“Weeknights, out there, there are people everywhere. That's what cities should be: People walking around, trying out different things.”

In the roughly four years since economic downturns led to the closing of Northport's Globe, reopening in a smaller and more vital location has never been far from Wilson's mind. He's worked as a chef-for-hire at the University Club and other places, seeking a more stable, retirement-based income and fewer long hours. Thus came four years of frustration.

“I was still working 60 or 70 hours a week, and it wasn't mine,” he said. “When I went into a place, I tried to make it my own.”

Finally it hit him: Make it happen.

“It was kind of the same realization I had in '92,” he said. Back then, he partnered with friend, sometime acting partner actor and fellow restaurant veteran Gary Wise to open The Globe, which was named for William Shakespeare's most famous theater, and for a hotel of the same name that had operated in downtown Northport in the 1820s.

It took off quickly, driven by cozy, eclectic decor and Wilson's American-fusion concoctions, many whimsically named with allusions to the Bard, such as Twelfth Night Trout and Salmon Caliban. At the end of the first week, The Globe actually ran out of food and had to stop serving. Good years followed as downtown Northport took steps to renovate and revive; the restaurant grew. Wilson bought out Wise. At its height, The Globe won awards from DiRONa (Distinguished Restaurants of North America) and Wine Spectator magazine. But business began slowing about 2004, and ground to a virtual halt in 2008. Wilson stopped paying himself to try and keep the doors open, but finally called it quits in April 2009.

“A Shakespearean-themed restaurant in Northport,” Wilson said with a rueful laugh, on the week it closed. “People said it wouldn't last a week.”

While looking for spaces in downtown Tuscaloosa back in January, he saw lights off, at night, in Carmelo's, and talked to the building's owner, Charles Spurlin. Carmelo's shut down near the end of last month, and Wilson moved to take over what he said was “close to a turnkey operation.”

“It's got good bones, as they say,” Wilson said. “The space seems very manageable. The overhead's low, the roof's good, and it's got a good landlord. It's nice having a landlord that has a vision.”

The old Globe aimed for a spot between upscale and down home, with comfortable seating and atmosphere to complement the fine cuisine.

“I hate places where you go in and are afraid to use the napkins or touch anything,” Wilson said.

So the new Globe is making use of what's existing, including the church pew-like benches, and solid tables that seem to have been built out of old ceiling joists. Some almost-invisible changes need to be made, such as replacing aluminum cookware with stainless steel, because of the difference Wilson says it makes in the way the food tastes.

Wilson plans to bring back many of the old favorites on the menu, such as the filet, the Thai Emerald Curry, the Shrimp Criollo and the Globe's Special Salad. One adaptation includes a Southern Comfort addition for lunch: Meat and three vegetables, but locally sourced, “classic Southern” food, things his grandmothers cooked. And just as in the former restaurant, each dish will be prepared per order. Wilson expects prices to be in the $12 to $14 range for lunch, what people should expect from quality food, he said.

“It doesn't come in a box. There's not a microwave back there. We're not a chain. We're family owned,” he said.

One criticism has been heard: Some patrons, or potential patrons, felt confused by the idea of Shakespeare and food, just as they are sometimes intimidated by Shakespeare's writing. So there'll be less focus on the Bard, and more on a general theatrical feel for the new restaurant.

“This space kind of reminds of me a backstage, with the brick walls and exposed beams,” he said.

Fresnel lights (those blocky black lights familiar to theatergoers, donated by local lighting experts Bill Teague and John Hisey) will brighten walls where the prints Wilson hand-drew, of scenes from Shakespeare's plays, will hang. The night the old restaurant closed, friends such as Ava Buchanan and Tina F. Turley, executive director of Theatre Tuscaloosa, took the large posters off Wilson's hands. When it became known The Globe was returning, everyone volunteered to give the prints back.

“They've been in good hands,” Wilson said.

Concerned about smoke bleeding in from nearby bars, he's had walls sealed with

expanding-foam insulation, and brought in ozone machines for the mezzanine and main room; they'll run overnight.

The whole Wilson family will be at work: Chef Jeff will oversee eldest son Ian, who'll help out in the kitchen as he did at the earlier Globe. His wife Kathy, daughter Erin and youngest son Morgan will also fill in various roles, from business and bookkeeping to front of house service.

Wilson, who has construction experience, is doing much of the physical renovation himself. He's repainted the walls, added lighting sconces featuring ancient kings of England and begun reworking the floor. An old Globe sign, donated by Andy Fitch, another local theatrical talent, is hanging over the bar. Many of those who mourned the loss of the old place have been offering help, Wilson said. Buchanan and designer Ray Taylor were planning to come in soon and oversee hanging of the prints and other decor.

“There were so many loyal patrons of the old Globe, we want to recall that feel, but also make it fresh and new,” Buchanan said. “The space has got a lot of character; it's just cool.”

Buchanan and her husband, Bill, joked that they were such frequent visitors to The Globe, they were considered employees; employees who helped pay the light bill. Obviously, she said, the food was terrific, but there was more to the magic.

“The food was the most creative and the freshest; but also because I loved the food, whenever Bill and I were going out to eat, the car just kind of drove itself there,” she said. “It was the people; the vibe. Some places I've been in had good food, but all the charm of a bowling alley, just kind of cold and not inviting.”

The Globe was a milestone place, she said, where people would celebrate. She held her 25th wedding anniversary and her 50th birthday parties there. When Theatre Tuscaloosa or other shows would close, Wilson would keep the kitchen open late for the actors and others.

“It was kinda like Grandma's house,” she said, laughing “Where everybody went to eat.”

Although things are never certain in the restaurant business, she has a good feeling about this revival. Clearly, old Globe fans will come in, but Buchanan, thinks the downtown Tuscaloosa location will help to build a new crowd.

“I really think once people taste Jeff's cooking, they're going to love it,” she said. “I think if he gets them in the door — and I think he will because of the location — they'll come back.”

The current plan is to open the new Globe in March, as soon as licensing paperwork comes through. People interested in applying for jobs should stop by 405 23rd Ave. and talk to Wilson. He's putting in long hours every day, urging it back to life.

<p>TUSCALOOSA | On a mild afternoon, with the sun shining in on stripped floors, Jeff Wilson paused in labors to bring the new The Globe restaurant back to life to meet with wine distributors, greet friends who wandered in, probably drawn by golden banners fluttering in a slight breeze, and deal with the occasional would-be customer who wasn't yet aware that the former Carmelo's had closed.</p><p>He takes it as a good sign that, even with weeks to go before the planned opening, there's traffic and growing curiosity. The flames have been fanned by hints and rumors, starting near the beginning of the year, that Wilson was planning to bring back The Globe, which ran for 17 years in downtown Northport.</p><p>“Over there we were a destination restaurant,” he said. “In downtown Tuscaloosa, we'll be part of a growing scene.</p><p>“Weeknights, out there, there are people everywhere. That's what cities should be: People walking around, trying out different things.”</p><p>In the roughly four years since economic downturns led to the closing of Northport's Globe, reopening in a smaller and more vital location has never been far from Wilson's mind. He's worked as a chef-for-hire at the University Club and other places, seeking a more stable, retirement-based income and fewer long hours. Thus came four years of frustration.</p><p>“I was still working 60 or 70 hours a week, and it wasn't mine,” he said. “When I went into a place, I tried to make it my own.” </p><p>Finally it hit him: Make it happen.</p><p>“It was kind of the same realization I had in '92,” he said. Back then, he partnered with friend, sometime acting partner actor and fellow restaurant veteran Gary Wise to open The Globe, which was named for William Shakespeare's most famous theater, and for a hotel of the same name that had operated in downtown Northport in the 1820s.</p><p>It took off quickly, driven by cozy, eclectic decor and Wilson's American-fusion concoctions, many whimsically named with allusions to the Bard, such as Twelfth Night Trout and Salmon Caliban. At the end of the first week, The Globe actually ran out of food and had to stop serving. Good years followed as downtown Northport took steps to renovate and revive; the restaurant grew. Wilson bought out Wise. At its height, The Globe won awards from DiRONa (Distinguished Restaurants of North America) and Wine Spectator magazine. But business began slowing about 2004, and ground to a virtual halt in 2008. Wilson stopped paying himself to try and keep the doors open, but finally called it quits in April 2009.</p><p>“A Shakespearean-themed restaurant in Northport,” Wilson said with a rueful laugh, on the week it closed. “People said it wouldn't last a week.”</p><p>While looking for spaces in downtown Tuscaloosa back in January, he saw lights off, at night, in Carmelo's, and talked to the building's owner, Charles Spurlin. Carmelo's shut down near the end of last month, and Wilson moved to take over what he said was “close to a turnkey operation.”</p><p>“It's got good bones, as they say,” Wilson said. “The space seems very manageable. The overhead's low, the roof's good, and it's got a good landlord. It's nice having a landlord that has a vision.”</p><p>The old Globe aimed for a spot between upscale and down home, with comfortable seating and atmosphere to complement the fine cuisine.</p><p>“I hate places where you go in and are afraid to use the napkins or touch anything,” Wilson said.</p><p>So the new Globe is making use of what's existing, including the church pew-like benches, and solid tables that seem to have been built out of old ceiling joists. Some almost-invisible changes need to be made, such as replacing aluminum cookware with stainless steel, because of the difference Wilson says it makes in the way the food tastes.</p><p>Wilson plans to bring back many of the old favorites on the menu, such as the filet, the Thai Emerald Curry, the Shrimp Criollo and the Globe's Special Salad. One adaptation includes a Southern Comfort addition for lunch: Meat and three vegetables, but locally sourced, “classic Southern” food, things his grandmothers cooked. And just as in the former restaurant, each dish will be prepared per order. Wilson expects prices to be in the $12 to $14 range for lunch, what people should expect from quality food, he said.</p><p>“It doesn't come in a box. There's not a microwave back there. We're not a chain. We're family owned,” he said.</p><p>One criticism has been heard: Some patrons, or potential patrons, felt confused by the idea of Shakespeare and food, just as they are sometimes intimidated by Shakespeare's writing. So there'll be less focus on the Bard, and more on a general theatrical feel for the new restaurant.</p><p>“This space kind of reminds of me a backstage, with the brick walls and exposed beams,” he said.</p><p>Fresnel lights (those blocky black lights familiar to theatergoers, donated by local lighting experts Bill Teague and John Hisey) will brighten walls where the prints Wilson hand-drew, of scenes from Shakespeare's plays, will hang. The night the old restaurant closed, friends such as Ava Buchanan and Tina F. Turley, executive director of Theatre Tuscaloosa, took the large posters off Wilson's hands. When it became known The Globe was returning, everyone volunteered to give the prints back.</p><p>“They've been in good hands,” Wilson said.</p><p>Concerned about smoke bleeding in from nearby bars, he's had walls sealed with </p><p>expanding-foam insulation, and brought in ozone machines for the mezzanine and main room; they'll run overnight.</p><p>The whole Wilson family will be at work: Chef Jeff will oversee eldest son Ian, who'll help out in the kitchen as he did at the earlier Globe. His wife Kathy, daughter Erin and youngest son Morgan will also fill in various roles, from business and bookkeeping to front of house service.</p><p>Wilson, who has construction experience, is doing much of the physical renovation himself. He's repainted the walls, added lighting sconces featuring ancient kings of England and begun reworking the floor. An old Globe sign, donated by Andy Fitch, another local theatrical talent, is hanging over the bar. Many of those who mourned the loss of the old place have been offering help, Wilson said. Buchanan and designer Ray Taylor were planning to come in soon and oversee hanging of the prints and other decor.</p><p>“There were so many loyal patrons of the old Globe, we want to recall that feel, but also make it fresh and new,” Buchanan said. “The space has got a lot of character; it's just cool.”</p><p>Buchanan and her husband, Bill, joked that they were such frequent visitors to The Globe, they were considered employees; employees who helped pay the light bill. Obviously, she said, the food was terrific, but there was more to the magic.</p><p>“The food was the most creative and the freshest; but also because I loved the food, whenever Bill and I were going out to eat, the car just kind of drove itself there,” she said. “It was the people; the vibe. Some places I've been in had good food, but all the charm of a bowling alley, just kind of cold and not inviting.”</p><p>The Globe was a milestone place, she said, where people would celebrate. She held her 25th wedding anniversary and her 50th birthday parties there. When Theatre Tuscaloosa or other shows would close, Wilson would keep the kitchen open late for the actors and others.</p><p>“It was kinda like Grandma's house,” she said, laughing “Where everybody went to eat.”</p><p>Although things are never certain in the restaurant business, she has a good feeling about this revival. Clearly, old Globe fans will come in, but Buchanan, thinks the downtown Tuscaloosa location will help to build a new crowd.</p><p>“I really think once people taste Jeff's cooking, they're going to love it,” she said. “I think if he gets them in the door — and I think he will because of the location — they'll come back.”</p><p>The current plan is to open the new Globe in March, as soon as licensing paperwork comes through. People interested in applying for jobs should stop by 405 23rd Ave. and talk to Wilson. He's putting in long hours every day, urging it back to life.</p>